A testimony of tears

Hi everyone! It has been an insane week here in State College, Mount Nittany, Bellefonte, basically all of the above, haha. 

We have been so busy and I don't have much time to write a weekly email, so I will make this nice and short. If that's even possible, haha. I like writing a lot. 

Being a missionary is hard! No need to sugarcoat it and pretend it's  fairytale, because it isnt. There are MANY moments that easily make up for all of the difficult times, but that doesn't mean that those difficulties never happened. 

This weekend we got our transfer boards. It was so nerve-wracking to wait and wait to see where we would all be going or who we would be with!

Insert drumroll here, haha. 

So, Sister Jeffery is staying in her area of Bellefonte and she will be training a brand new Sister Missionary! I am so excited for her she is such an incredible missionay. I hope her new companion realizes how blessed she is to be trained by someone who embodies all that Jesus Christ is. I love Sister Jeffery so very much and I cannot express my gratitude that Heavenly Father allowed us to be companions even if just for two weeks. I have so many things I wish I could say about her, But words just can't even describe all that she is to me. I love Sister Jeffery.

Sister Cutler, otherwise known as Human Sunshine, My widdle Watermelon, and my fabulous trainer is being transferred to Franklin, PA. She is going to be an STL and I am so happy for her. 

Before I left on my mission, I remember people telling me that I would learn to love the people, the area, and my companions in a way that I never had experienced before. I would say, "Oh yeah, I know, I'm so excited," but clearly I had no idea that my heart could feel so heavy with love for someone who, 12 weeks ago, was a complete stranger to me. 

Sister Cutler is MY trainer and I wouldn't have it any other way. Sister Cutler is one of the greatest missionaries I have ever met and I have learned more about who Christ was over these past three months through her example, than I have learned in my lifetime. 

How grateful I am to experience even a portion of what the Savior felt in Gethsemane as he willingly felt all sadness and all joy for each of us. I love these two missionaries with all of my heart and it hurts more than I thought possible to see them go.. But the savior understands. And I have a testimony that we can do anything through Christ if we will but turn to him. 

As for me, I will be staying here in State College! My new companion is Sister Nilsson and she is from Sweden! I am excited to meet her and to love her as much as I have loved all of my companions thus far. 

This week, there was an event downtown on campus called, ArtFest. It was PACKED with families everywhere. Again, a GREAT finding opportunity.   On our way back to the branch, we saw this sweet lady named Maria on a bench by the bus stop.. We asked how she was doing today and she just sighed and shook her head. She looked exhausted. We then asked if there was anything that we could do for her and she just said, "No, I just need a drink of water. What I really need to do is to get myself a water bottle from somewhere like you ladies have so that I don't have keep asking strangers for a drink."  My heart sunk. This poor thing was so dehydrated that she was begging for water from people walking around ArtsFest. Sister Cutler grabbed her water bottle and unscrewed the lid. She handed it to her and Maria drank as much of it as she could. 

We started to talk to her more and to introduce her to the Book of Mormon. She wasn't really interested in our faith, but she was so grateful for the example we were to her.   We started to walk away and talked to other people when I remember thinking, "She needs your waterbottle much more than you do."   That thought ate me alive for the next ten minutes. We were stopped just a few feet away from her, talking to a few other people and I knew I had to go back and give her my waterbottle. I started getting dizzier and dizzier and I just wanted to sit down. I saw her out of the corner of my eye. She walked into the bus station building and I thought I may have lost my opportunity to follow that prompting. 

I then started to convince myself that I didn't need to do it. My waterbottle isn't clean, it is half full, has scuffs all over it, Jessica tied a blue string around it at one point.. It wasn't pretty.   As soon as we finished talking to the other people at the bus station, Maria came back out of the building. Sister Cutler and Sister Jeffery started walking the opposite direction and I finally convinced myself that I would feel more guilty if I didn't at least try.. So I told the sisters that we needed to go back. 

I handed her my waterbottle and told her that I wanted to give it to her. I told her that she needed it more than I did and that I hope it helps even just a little bit. She was so thankful and wanted to find a way to repay me. We just asked her to start reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. 

Later, she sent this text message to us: 

"Hello sister, it was truly a blessing to meet you yesterday and receive your gift of water. I did not think to bring, but you came back! And gave me this wonderful water I will now use. The water was so cold and refreshing. It was very certainly a good deed at the right moment and while your faith is confusing to me, the best thing was to be reminded there is good out there it was a gift to witness it."

There were many other things that happened this week, but due to our lack of time, I just wanted to express my sincere love for each of you. 

I have a testimony of God's plan. I know that every companion he puts me with is MY companion for a reason. There are so many things I have yet to learn. Isn't it amazing that those things can be taught to us through others? What an incredible expression of the love of God. We are created uniquely. Because our unique personalities are what help others to come closer to Christ. 

I love this gospel. I know it is true. 

Talk to you all next week. 

Sister Westover 

10 Vairo Blvd #32B

State College, PA 16803 

And Then There were 3

Hello all!

It's so good to get a chance to talk to you all once again from the perspective of a missionary! 

This week was CRAZY. So many things happened and I don't really know where to begin. 

First of all, I am now in a trio with Sister Cutler and Sister Jeffery. WHAT HAPPENED TO SISTER GREEN? Glad you asked. 

She stole the millennium falcon, ran into some bad guys and she teamed up with Kylo Ren. They're good buddies now. He's a nice guy. 

(I mainly wrote that because I know she will read this email. Hi Sister Green. I love you, haha.)

In all seriousness though, Sister Green did make quite the journey this week. On Thursday, she and I were in our apartment, just chilling out you know, as we do.. And she got a phone call from her Mom. We learned that she was going to head home to get medical care and that she would fly out on Friday. 

It was a really difficult day in all honesty. I remember feeling very similar things back in December when I was sent home early.

So here's to an amazing Sister Missionary who never failed to make me crack up. She is an aura of light and I have been blessed beyond belief to have gotten to be her companion this past week. I love you so much, Tweedle Blind!! Beware of the Gorillas! Chocolate milk forever!! 

Alright alright, enough with the inside jokes, I apologize. No I don't actually. Just trying to keep things interesting. 

I hope you all had an incredible fourth of July! My fourth of July was spent in the apartment with my buddy Sister Green. It was so cool though because Sister Greens mother has a friend in Pennsylvania right now, and that friend came to our apartment to drop off some fun things for the day. 

She dropped off a puzzle! It was of the picture that my family loves! It's of Jesus Christ reaching into the water to lift us up when we feel like we are drowning. Sister Green did the ENTIRE THING, haha. 

We also got LEGOS. I was so excited. Sister Green got a CARS set and I, of course, got a FROZEN one! It was such a great thing!!

Speaking of health, I am doing super great. Back on my feet and doing well. Thank you so much for all of your prayers! They were felt every single day.  After Sister Green went home, we became a trio and we are covering the Bellefonte, Mount Nittany, and State College areas. Man, we have been busier than ever. 

I've learned a lot this week though.. Specifically about promises. 

Brothers and Sisters, God never breaks his promises. NEVER. I was sent home early back in December and I had a really difficult time with that. I was angry and impatient. I made a deal with God. I remember getting on my knees one evening and I just cried and cried. I didn't know if I was going to go back at all and if I did, when it would be. I told Heavenly Father that I didn't even know if it was worth it to try anymore. But I decided to test him.. Not my proudest moment, but I was so angry. I told him, "Heavenly Father, I don't want to do this. I don't want to be here. BUT, if you need me to get back out on my mission, I won't stop fighting. I will get to that point. All I ask is that you allow me to be companions with Sister Green." 

I know that Heavenly Father keeps his promises. I remember feeling immense peace that night and I knew that we would be companions. If I hadn't gone home the first time, I most definitely wouldn't have been assigned to State College at THIS time. Sister Green and I wouldn't have been in the same exact district THIS transfer. We both wouldn't have gotten sick at the same time.. We wouldn't have been apartment bound together. We wouldn't have been made companions if even for a week and a half. 

I am a witness of a loving Father in Heaven who knows each of us individually. I am a witness of the reality of promised blessings. 

It is my prayer that as we strive to more fully trust in the lord, we will understand that he will provide for our every need. He loves each of you so very much. He ALWAYS keeps his promises. 

Brothers and Sisters, I look forward to talking to you again next week. I'll be sure to let you know how transfers go! 

Love you all!

Sister Westover